Hayden vows to break free from India's shackles

The Indian bowlers -- Zaheer Khan in particular -- have so far successfully managed to tie him down, but Australia opener Matthew Hayden has vowed to bounce back when the third Test gets underway in Delhi from October 29.

The Indian bowlers -- Zaheer Khan in particular -- have so far successfully managed to tie him down, but Australia opener Matthew Hayden has vowed to bounce back when the third Test gets underway in Delhi from October 29.

The left-hander has managed just 42 in the first two Tests, with 29 being his top score, but said he has learnt from his mistakes.

"I won't change my strategy, but that aggression I showed in the second innings (in Mohali) is just how I want to play here," he said about his whirlwind 29 off 20 balls in Australia's losing encounter.

"I want to be strong at the ball and give myself the best chance to hit the ball. I am at a stage of the tour where I have hit a lot of the balls. I am confident with my hands and my feet," he was quoted as saying by 'Daily Telegraph'.

Hayden said his injury prevented him from playing enough cricket before coming to India and that he was a bit rusty.

"I almost did come here a bit short of cricket and momentum because of the achilles injury. You feel like you are playing catch-up a bit. But I feel confident and the second innings is how I know I play my best here," he said.

Hayden's explosive batting forced stand-in India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to spread the field around despite the fact that Australia were chasing 516 to win.

"I think more than anything I am such a weapon here because I think as you saw, when I started attacking, they just got so defensive," he said.

"Then the game from that point is really an adjustment for me as well, because I have to switch out of that mode."

Hayden, who has scored 835 runs at an average of 49.11, has faltered this time with his technique of taking a big step to the line of the delivery.

"The Indians sit back and get the other side of the ball," Hayden said.

"In the second innings I started to do that as well. It's clearing your feet and using your eyes and hands to play the ball as opposed to moving your feet to the line of the ball and your head to the line of the ball," said the opener hoping that it would enable him to deal with India's pace duo of Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan.

Hayden is aware that failure in the next two Tests could see him in the firing line.

"Right now I have a lot of fight in me and I am enjoying the challenge of where I am at," he said admitting, "It's not all going my own way and me having to stretch myself and work a bit harder and understand there is going to be a transition into momentum."